M50 "Ontos" self-propelled recoilless gun: the fire support point for the infantry M50 "Ontos" was originally developed as a replacement for the M56 "Scorpion" light anti-tank vehicle.
In order to cooperate with the Airborne Forces, the combat vehicle had to be light and flexible, so the armor was thin and could not withstand 127 mm machine *** attack. Due to problems with the protection force, the army canceled the procurement program for the M50.
However, the marines expressed satisfaction with its agility and relatively low level of protection and incorporated the M50 into their armament. In total, the marines were armed with 297 M50, "Ontos", 45 per anti-tank battalion.
The M50 "Ontos" is equipped with six M40 A1C 105mm recoilless guns, which can be fired in a controlled manner inside the vehicle, but need to be reloaded externally. The pitch angle of each gun can be adjusted from -10 degrees to +20 degrees.
In addition to the six guns on the turret, the M50 was equipped with 127 mm positioning rifle and a Browning M1919A4 762 mm machine gun. This allowed the gunner to observe where the shells landed, and increased the ability to defend themselves.
The M50 has a rate of fire of 4 rounds per minute and can fire armor-piercing, grenades and shotguns. When the United States invaded the Dominican Republic in 1964, a small group of M50s took part in the fighting, successfully destroying a French-made AMX-13 tank and a Swedish L-60 tank.
Subsequently, the Marine Corps sent two pieces of equipment to the Vietnam theater"m50"However, since the jungle environment in Vietnam was not suitable for anti-tank operations, the M50 was quickly reassigned to other units for fire support. In different battlefield environments, commanders used their imagination to explore the use of the M50 "Ontos".
It is used for escort missions, defending important targets such as transport convoys, bases, and airfields. In defensive battles, the M50's shotguns are very effective against infantry and can destroy enemy living forces at up to 400 meters.
In offensive battles, the M50 becomes an excellent "bunker buster" that can easily destroy enemy buildings and fortifications.
In addition, the M50 was used as a "guerrilla", conducting harassing fire and quickly changing positions.
However, due to the lack of spare parts and damage to mechanical components in harsh environmental conditions, the shooting career of the M50 ended after three years of the Vietnam War. By 1970, the Marine Corps retired all M50 "Ontos".
Despite deviating from the original design goals, the M50 "Ontos" still found a place to play its part in the war. It amply proves that in ground combat, effective fire support is essential for infantry units.
To be effective, it is not necessary to have a full range of capabilities such as firepower, protection and mobility, the key is the practicality of the ** itself and the creative use of it by front-line commanders.